The Way To A Maiden's Mind
by Pineapple Lump
Summary: Duke Barma knows everything there is to know about everything. Except what goes on in a girl's mind and how to win her heart that is. This is the next fanfic in my couples series. Rufus/Cheryl


Hey everyone! I'm back with the next PH couple!  
This is a Rufus/Cheryl for Fuuko96!  
If anyone's interested in which couple is winning according to my styled fanfic, Break/Sharon is currently in the lead!  
Btw, I got the idea from one of the omake in the manga so could contain spoilers

Disclaimer: still don't own PH!

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Flashback (Rufus POV)

Duke Barma sat in his chair, fanning himself impatiently.

Where was that boy? Liam should have come back from the Reinsworth house by now.

Maybe Cheryl is taking her time to read all of those love letters? Rufus thought to himself. That was probably it. He'd poured his heart and soul into each letter.

Rufus knew a girl's heart like the back of his hand. He'd included soppy ballads, drawn cute puppies and cats on every second letter, and let's not forget the fool proof 'roses are red, violets are blue' poems.

He'd even included every pick up line that he knew. Everything from 'Did it hurt when you fell from Heaven?' to 'If I said you had a nice body, would you hold it against me?'

Rufus sighed. He knew everything there was to know, so why did this bother him? Because Cheryl seemed to be the only person that he couldn't always predict?

Cheryl's smiling face came to mind. Not the sweet one that he generally loved, but that scary one that Sharon was starting to use.

No. He was probably worrying about whether Cheryl would answer with her steel fan.

The Duke brought his fanning speed up another level. He wanted to get his reply back from the duchess already! Cheryl couldn't keep Liam forever…

Rufus halted his fanning and hung his head. He probably wouldn't see Liam for another couple of years, knowing his friend.

* * *

Flashback (Cheryl's POV)

Cheryl looked at all the letters from Rufus.

'If a fat man comes and puts you in a sack, do not worry. I told Santa that I wanted you for Christmas'?

'Roses are red, violets are blue, I've never seen anyone as pretty as you'?

What had Rufus been thinking?

"GYAAAAAAAAAAA!" Liam cried out as Cheryl threw all the letters into the fire. "Wh-What are you doing?"

Cheryl turned to Liam and gave that scary smile of hers. "Thank you very much You can go home now."

"N-no! I can't go just like that!" Liam said. "Duke Barma told me not to return until I have an answer!"

"Oh my, is that so…" Cheryl turned as Sharon as she ran into the room. That gave Cheryl an idea.

"Come to think of it Sharon-chan…" Again that scary smile. "You said it before that you want an older brother, didn't you?"

Cheryl had to admit she felt a little bad at Liam standing there uncomfortably. But, she could simply punish Rufus for it later… When she was ready to answer him.

End flashback.

* * *

Rufus sat in his chair, fanning himself as he waited for yet more punishment.

"How many times have I told you not to create illusions of me, Ru-kun ," Cheryl said, that terrifying smile in place. Rufus looked away. The smile hardened. "And don't tell me that it was perfect and that you decreased the number of my wrinkles so I have no right to complain again."

Rufus decided to keep his mouth shut, knowing from experience that saying it was true, was only going to enrage the woman more. Reinsworth women were terrifying when they wanted to be…

"So, what excuse are you going to use this time Ru-kun?" Cheryl asked. She bounced that fan of hers up and down in her palm as she said it.

Rufus thought about his answer carefully before he responded. The last time he'd said he had every detail, whether it was looks, behaviour or so on, perfect, it earned him a few broken bones.

"I just wanted to see you face again," Rufus replied simply. This answer stopped Cheryl in her tracks.

"Excuse me?"

Rufus turned. Ugh, she was doing it again! Doing something she wasn't expected to do. He'd been expecting a slap or a lecture.

"I said I wanted to see your face again," Rufus repeated. He paused before continuing. "But I know the illusion is nothing compared to-"

"Ok, you can stop there," Cheryl said, raising her hand. "You know, I might have actually replied to your love letters all that time ago if you hadn't of put all those cheesy pick up lines, and love ballads…" Cheryl shook her head at the mere memory of it.

Rufus continued to fan himself, thinking it over. Then girls didn't like all that sort of thing? He sighed. Time to dump all that information about how a maiden's mind works. Unless Cheryl was just being difficult again.

"Not everything is all information," Cheryl said, placing her hand over Rufus's. "Some things you just can't calculate."

Rufus stopped his fan and turned to Cheryl. "So, what could I have said that would have made your answer yes?"

Cheryl didn't answer for a while. Finally, she leaned forward and kissed Rufus on the cheek.

"What makes you so sure it was a no?" Without another word, Cheryl pushed herself forward to the open door and disappeared.

Rufus smirked, fanning himself again. " 'Some things you just can't calculate' hmm?"

Rufus cried out when Cheryl's fan landed in his face.

"Exactly. Some things you just can't calculate," Cheryl said before leaving properly.

Rufus sighed and rubbed his sore face, but there was a smile on it. There she was, doing everything she wasn't supposed to.

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There it is!  
Hope you all enjoyed!  
If you love this couple, leave a review saying that!  
If not, then thanks for reading! ^_^

_ Pineapple Lump _


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